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Johnson & Johnson invites innovators worldwide to submit potentially transformative computational techniques for designing antibody sequences de novo against "hard-to-drug" targets, with selected applicants receiving the opportunity to present to J&J leadership.
Overview
- Selected applicants will present to Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine R&D leadership in San Francisco (January 12-15, 2026)
- Finalists may have the opportunity to collaborate with J&J on designing antibody sequences against "hard-to-drug" targets
- This is a presentation opportunity with no monetary award or travel cost reimbursement
- Opportunity to showcase innovation directly to J&J decision-makers in the computational protein design space
Priority Areas
- AI/ML models with ability to predict and/or generate antigen-antibody binding interactions against targeted epitopes
- De novo protein design technologies leveraging recent advances in AI for protein structure prediction
- Novel computational approaches for designing therapeutic antibodies
Eligibility & Requirements
- Technologies must demonstrate capability of validation/demonstration in de novo protein design
- Case studies validating feasibility or suggesting technology can extend to real-world use cases
- Approach showing potential novelty and differentiation based on benchmarking to public examples
- Strong team quality and capabilities
- Platform capabilities focused solely on small-molecule, peptide, or mini-protein-based modalities are NOT in scope
Timeline
- October 8, 2025: Challenge launch
- November 21, 2025: Application deadline
- December 12, 2025: Pitch selection notification
- January 12-15, 2026: Pitch opportunity in San Francisco
How to Submit
- Submit your novel technologies/techniques with sufficient detail to determine potential for generating de novo designed sequences
- Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis by a team of J&J and NVIDIA experts
- Include validation/demonstration of capabilities in de novo protein design
- Provide case studies showing feasibility or potential real-world applications
Please note: Full RFP is attached in the "More Information" section of this page. Faculty and researchers interested in applying for these opportunities based on technologies developed or disclosed at Vanderbilt must submit their proposals through the CTTC.